Stitch-forming mechanism.



A. F. FIFIELD. STITCH FORMING MECHANISM.

1,147,386. Pdtented July 20,1915. 2 SHEETS-SHEET!- APPLICATION FILED. APR. 1, I914.

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A. F. FIFIELD.

STITCH FORMING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1914.

1,147,386. I Patented Ju1y20, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

law 1 STATES PATENT ermine.

511131335. 13'. FIFIELD. 0F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, 'ASSIGNOR TO SING ER MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STITCH-FORMING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .lnlyijil, 1915.

To (1/! ir/rom if m 11 warez-n Be it known that I. Amncirr F. Fi ii-11in, a citizen of the United States. residing at Elizabeth, in the count} o'l' i -nion and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stiteh-l orming Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification reference heing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates more partieularly to an improvement in stitch-forming meehanism for producing groups of oversenm or tacking stitches in which each loop of the stitching thread entered hy a suhsequently formed loop of the same thread; and it has for its primary object to.provide means for insuring the enchainment of the stitchingthreadloops. I

In its preferred form, the improvement embodied in a sewing maehine comprising a laterally jogging work-holder and a reetilinearly reciprocating needle with a rotary looper adapted to seize a thread-loop from the needle and spread the same for passage, of the needle in the succeeding stiteh-t'orming operation. With the deserihed type oi" stitelrforining mechanism. it isessential that the threaddoops shall extend t'roin the taliric at one side of the needle'path and -shall he held distended h v the. loope at the oppo-. site side of the i'ieedle-path in order to insure the passage or the needle through the same. A laterallv jogging work-elanu') so shifts the work relatively to the needle that the. lead of the thread loops is alternately from opposite sides of the needle-path so as to cause the skipping of eaeh alternate s titeh.

To insure the proper eoiiperation ol the. needle and looper in eaeh stiteh-forniing evele. the looper is given in addition to its normal loop-seizing movements also hodily jogging movements in the same direetion ae those rit'the work-holder so as to (-arry theneedle-thread loops retained hy the looper into engagement with a fixed loopaletaining.

spur upon the opposite side of the needlepath l'rom the loop-spreading portion of the looper in its loopseizing stage of movement. therelrv insuring the positioning of themedie-thread loops uniformly for sueeessive s-titeh-torming eyeles regardless of the position of the eonneetion ot' the loops with the 'Ol'h' under the aetior. of the. Work-holder jogging means.

To further insure the ell'eetiueoi'lperalion ol the needle with the looper having the de serilied movements. a nemlleguard is pro-- vided whirh not onl v partalv'es ol' the lateral jogging ll]()\'(lllllll ol' the looper hut has additional i'eeiproeatorv movements toward and from the looper so as to aeeomnnalate. itself to the loop-seizing movements of the latter. while performing its normal l'unetion in preventing the injurious engagement oi the needle li v the. looper-point.

In the :u-eompznrving drawings. Figure 1 a lront side elevation of a Singer ilat-hutton sewing maehine emhodyingsuhstantially the eonstruetive. teatures'ol' that represwnted in the i'nited States patent to J. J. Sullivan. No. 777.564, of Deeeniher 13. 190i. and provided with the present improvements. and Fig. 2 is a hottoni view of the same. Fig. i! is a top plan view showing the relation of the detent-tinger and point of the looper. Fig. 3 is a front end view of the same upon a larger seale with the ln'aelv'et-arm and parts earried thereby omitted. Fi s. 4 and 5 are detail seetional front end views showing the stiteh-forming elements and their aeeessories. and Fig. (3 is a perspeetive view of the limp-detaining spur and the plate by whieh it is seeured in position Fig. 7 is an elevation showing the swiveled hearing for the looper and needle-guard shafts and the needle-guard actuating means, and representing the heihplate in se'etion. Fig. 8 is an elevation showing the jogging means for the loo er-sluiftand needle-guard shaft.

The maehine is eonstrueted with a fran'ie. omprising the lltli-Pliltt 1 from whieh rises the hollow standard 2 of the hraelv'et-arnl provided with the tuhular memher 3 terminating in the hollow head 4 in whieh is journaled the reetilinearly reeii'u'oeating l](((ll(-l);ll 3 earr ving theneedle 3 whieh eooperates in the. produetion ot' stitehes with a well known form of t'lltllllsitl fl'li looper provided with the'point or heah T and loopspreading wing 3-.

As represented in the said Patent No. 777.561. the work-holder romprises the jligging har i to the forward endot whieh isv seeured the lower worlesupporting plate 10 the bar 9. The bar9 is connected by suitable means intermediate its ends with the slideplate 15 beneath the bed-plate which has a link connection 16 with one arm 17 of the bell crank fulcrumed at lSand'provided with a slotted arm 19 connected in turn by means of the link element 20 with the lower arm 21 of a rock-lever depending through a suitable, aperture in the bed-plate. Said rock-lever carries upon its upper arm the roller-stud 2'2 entering an actuating cam-groove 23 in the controlling cam 2d suitably connected with the main shaft 25 of the machine for imparting to the work-clamp jogging move= ments crosswise of the bed-plate and hence in the plane of rotary movement of the looper-point.

The looper is fixed upon the forward end connected by means of the belt 28 with a similar sprocketovheel '29 of the same size upon the main shaft .Sccured upon the bottom of the bed-plate beneath the bracketarm standard 2 by means of the screws 30 is the bearing plate 31 formed with the-upwardly extending boss 32 having a vertical bearing aperture to which is fitted the stud 33 of the swiveled bearing block 34- apertured to afl'ordthe rearward bearing of the loopenshaft 2G. The bearing block is sus tained by means of the screw tapped into the stud 33 and having interposed between its head and the boss 32 the washer 3(3.

Depending from the bed-plate near its front end is the member 37 formed with the transverse slide-way 38 closed at the bottom means of the divided plate 89 having its component sections notched in their adjacent edges to form the slot 39 and secured to the member by means of the screws 40. lVit-hin the slide-way 38 is the slideblock 41 transverselyapertured to afford the forward bearing for the looper-shaft 28. Theshaft 26 has fixed thereon near the slide-blockal the eccentric 42 embraced by a strap 8 at one end of the connecting rod whose apertured opposite end embraces the screw-bolt 45 sustained by the depending lug 46 of the plate .47 which is secured'to the bottom of the bed-plate by the screws 48. As the cocentric-strap 43 is movably maintained a fixed distance from the stationary stud-bolt 45 by the connecting-rod or radius-bar 44, each rotation of the eccentric 42 with the shaft 20 causesa'late'ral jogging: movement of the latter with its slidwhlock 41,"theswiveled bearing block 3% permitting the free horizontal vibratory movement of the shaft about the stud as a fulcrum.

The con'iponent elements of the workholder are provided each with an aperture of sutlicicnt length to receire the needle in either of the extreme lateral positions of the work-holder, and the throat-plate 49 has a screws 51 is the shank 52 of a threaddetaining finger 53 partially crossing the needleaperture 50 of the throat-plate and having a recess 5% near its point upon the side opposite which the looper-point advances in its coiiperation with the needle. As represent ed in .Fig'. 6, the finger 53 is beveled upwardly upon its lower edge.

The hearing block 34 has a depending portion apertured to afford a bearing 'for the rearward end of the needle-guard rock-shaft 55 whose opposite end portion. is mounted Within the bearing sleeve 56 sustained by the web 57 extending from the slide-block 41 through the slot 39 in the sectional plate crescent-shaped needleguard 58 having its operative and in practice slightly :beveled upon one'iace to engage the portion of the needle below the eye upon the side upon which the needle-thread loop is seized by the looper-point, the point of the needlepguard being directed oppositely to the iooper-point in the loop-seizing stage of the stitch-forming cycle.

Fixed upon the needle-guard roc loshat't adjacent the bearing block 3 lis the hub 59 of? a cam-follower formed with the angularly disposed arms 60 and 61 of Which'the former has a rounded end. The shaft has secured thereon the collar 62 interposed between which and the lug (33 depending from. the bed-plate is the torsional spring (Set having one end secured to said collar and The rockshaft 55 has fixed upon its forward end'the hub of the substantially other side, and the arms 60' and (31 of the I followerare connected upon. the side adjacent the looper-shaft in a curve which. is concentric with the higher or concentric portion of the cam 65. hen the-concentric portion of the cam is presented to the follower, the needle-guard is locked retracted from operative relation with the needle and beyond the range of movement of the looper. as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 4, but

.as the cam continues its rotation to presentv .its flattened side to the followen the round ed and of the Follower-arm (3O rides'down the flattened side of the. cam under the action of the spring (S-l which advances the needle-guard into operative: relation with.

the needle just before the needle-thread lopp is seized by the point of the ioopcr, as shown in Fig. 5.

Tn the use of the machine as thus described. a button 7) is placed in the button-' sustaining member of the work-holder and,

the material mv introduced intermediate the same and the work-sopporting plate 10 and the machine set in motion. Referring to the continued rotation of thelooper is car-- ricd first to the left as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, and then to the right where it is distendedhv the spreading wing 8 of the looper. the upper portion of the loop leading to the left of the needle owing to the shift of the work-holder in the same direction subsequent tothe initial rise of the needle above the work, as represented in Fig. 5. In the succeeding rotation of the looper a thread-loop is seized from the needle and passed through that held spread by the looper in a manner well known. In the subsequent shiftot' the work-clamp or holder from fight to left, the normal lead of the thread-loop would be from the right of the needle While the succeeding needleloop would be carried by the looper away from the previous loop held spread-by the looper, and the inter-looping of'the threads would be prevented. By the provision of the loop detaining finger 53 and the looperjogging means, the thread-loop leading from the material beneath the right-hand hole of the button, as represented in Fig. 4, is initially carried to the left, as indicated in dotted lines in said figure, sufficiently to be drawn over the tapered and slightly round ed point of the detaining finger or spnv 53 and to snap into the recess fi l behind the same whereby the upper portion of the loop is retained while the lower portion is .car tied to. the right and tothe opposite side of the needle-path in which position the suns 'eecding needle-thread loop ispassed through it under the same conditions as would exist in the position of the work-holder represented in Fig. Upon the release of the distended thread-loop by the spreading wing of the looper. it is drawn up on the recessed side of the thread-detaining finger to thelower face of the work. v

In the cooperation of the needle and looper for the stitch-forming action, the needle-guard 58 advances from its retracted position as represented in Fig. 4, to its operative position as represented in full llnesm Figs. 4' and 5. preparatz-n'y to the loop-seizing action ot the looper. and just as the point of the looper passes through the loop of needle-thread presented by the needle the needle-guard recedes at a rate exceeding the speed of the looper-point, so as to reach its retracted position beyond the range of movement of the looper before the latter crosses the path of movement of the needle-' guard, whereby interference between the two is prevented, the needle-guard being positively held in its retracted position by the actuating cam, as before explained.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that a clmraeteristic feature of the present imprm'ement is the movement of the loop-taker in such manner that it not only seizes and spreads each needle-thread loop for paLsage of the succeeding needlethread loop, but carries such thread-loops laterally into engagen'ient with the loop-dd taining spur or finger to compensate. for the relative lateral jogging movcn'ients between the needle and the worh-lmlder. it is evident that the particular means employed for eti'ecting this action and the form and arrangement of the several thread manipulating parts and their accessories may be mcdi-l'ied materially within the scope of the present invention. 7

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what'l claim herein :is:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocating needle, wtn'ltsustaining means, and means for producing between them relative lateral ogging movements, of a loop-taker i'or seizingwthremlloops from the needlcQand presenting them for subsequent passage of the needle, a sta tionary loop-detaii'iing spur disposed intermediate the \vorlesustaining means and the loop-taker, and means for imparting to the loop-taker operative movements for seiz are of thread-loops from the needle, advancement ot' the same for engagement and detention by theloop-detaining spur at one. side of the needle-path and retraction of the portions of the thread-loops held by the looptal ei" to the opposite side of the needlepath.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with a reciprmfating needle, work-sustaining means, and means for producing between them relative lateral jogging movements, of

a loop-tal-{er tor seizingthread-loops fromthe needle and presenting them for subse-- ing means. and means for producing be-x tween them relative lateral Jogging move ments, of a loop-taker for seizing thread loops from the needle and spreading them for subsequent passage of the needle, loop,- taker actuating means, means for imparting to the loop-taker lateral ogging movements in substantiallv the direction of said relative jogging movements, and a .oop-detainer for holding deflected from their normal lead to the worl; the thread-loops spread by the loop-taker.

4, In a sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocating: needle, work-sustaining means, and means for producing between them relative lateral jogging movc ments, of a loop-taker for seizing thread loops from the needle and spreading them forsubsequent passage of the needle, actuating means for imparting to the looptaker loop-seizing movements in substan- .tially the direction of said relative jogging movements, means for imparting to the loop-taker lateral jogging movements in the direction of and beyond the normal range of its loop-seizing movements, and a loopdetainer adapted to engage the thread-loops intermediate the loop-taker and the worksustaining means.

5. In a sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocating needle, worlos'ustain- .ng means, and means for producing between them relative lateral jogging movements, of a loop-taker for seizing threadloops from the needle and presenting them.

for subsequent passage of the needle, a loopdetaining .spur disposed, intermediate the work-sustaining means and the loop-taker, means for imparting to the loop-taker operative loop-seizing movements, and means for imparting to the loop-taker lateral jogging movements of greater frequency thanthe said relative jogging movements whereby thread-loops seized by the loop-taker are carried into eng gement with and held bv said'spur upon one side of the needle-path and are distended by the looper upon the.

opposite side of the needle-path.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination witha reciprocating needle, work-sustaining means, and means for producing between them relative lateral jogging movements, of a loop-taker adapted to perform its loopseizing movements in the direction of said lateral jogging movements, a shaft upon which said loop-taker is mounted, means for turning said shaft and through it imparting loop-seizing movements to the loop-taker, and means for imparting to said shaft lat: eral jogging movements in the same direction as said relative jogging movements.

7. In a sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocating needle, Worlnsustaining means, and means for producing between them relative lateral jogging movements, of

loop-taker adapted to perform its loopseizing movements in the direction of. said lateral ogging movements, 2. sharia upon which said loop-taker is mounted, a laterally movable slide-block in which said shaft is journaled adjacent the loop-taker, and means applied to said shaft independently of the slide-block for imparting to it and to said slide-block lateral jogging movements.

In a, sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocating needle, worksustaining means, and means for producing between them relative lateral jogging movements, of a loop-taker adapted to perform its loop-seizing movements in the direction of said lateral-jogging movements, a shaft upon which said loop-taker is mounted, a laterally movable slide-block in which said shaft is journaled adjacent the loop-taker, a swiveled bearing for said shaft remote from said slide-block, driving means applied to said shaft adjacent its swiveled bearing, and means applied to said shaft adjacent the slide-block for imparting to it and to said slide-block lateral jogging movements. 7

9. In a sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocatingneedle, work-sustaining means, and means for producing between them relative lateral jogging movements, of a loop-taker adapted. to erform its loopseizing movements in the direction of said lateral jogging movements, a shaft upon which said loop-taker is mounted, actuating means for said shaft, :1 laterally movable support for said shaft, an eccentric upon said shaft, a fixed stud, and a connect- 11. In a sewing machine, the combination with a'reciprocating needle, worlesustaining means, and means for producing between them relative lateral ogging movements, of

a loop-taker adapted to perform 'its-loopseizing movements In the direction of said.

lateral jogging movements, a needle-guard movable into and out of operative relation with the needle, a common laterally movable support for said loop-taker and needleguard, means for imparting lateral jogging movements to said support, means for imparting rotary movements to the l00}')-lflk6l.', and means connected with the needleguard for moving it into operative relation with the needle preparatory to the loop-seizing action and. for retracting it at a greater speed than that at which the loop-taker moves in seizing and distending needle-'- thrcad loops. v v

l3. Ina sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocating needle,-Work-sustaining means, and means for producing between them iulative' lateral jogging movements, of a loop-taker adapted to perform its 100pscizing movements in the direction of said lateraljogg'ing movements, a needle-guard movabie'intdand out of operative relation withjjshe needle, a common late rally movable supp'o iil forjsaid loop-taker and needle- ;gnard, means iorimpar'ting lateral jogging movements 20 said support, means for 'lmthread loops and for positively locking the needle-guard retracted from the range of movement of the lo'cptaker.

13. In a sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocatlngv needle, Work-sustaining means, andimeans for producing between them relative lateral ogging movements, of a loop-taker adapted'to perform its loopseizing movements in the direction of said lateral jogging movements, a needle-guard, ashaft upon which said loop-taker is mount- .means, and means for producing heuween with a reciprocating needle, Worlosnstaining them relative lateral jogging movements, of

a loop-taker adapted to perform its loopseizing movements in the direction of said lateral jogging movements, a needleguard, a shaft upon which said loop-taker is mounted, a shaft upon which the needle-guard is edfa shaft upon which the needle-guard is mounted, a err-"men laterally movable support for sai'd'snafts, means for imparting la tcral joggingmovements to said shafts, an actuating cam ontheloop-taker shaft, and a follower for; said cam on the needle-guard v s aft. 14. In a; 'sewing rnachine," the combination mounted, a common laterally movable support for said ,shafts; means for imparting lateral jogging movements to said shafts, an actuating cam fixed upon the loop-taker shaft and formed peripherally uponGpposite sides respectively with a. concentric and an eccentric portion, and a cam-follower fi xed'upon themeedle-guardishaft and provided with divergent arms adapted to closely embrace theconcentric portion of said cam and'provided with means wherebv one of said arms is adapted to follow" the contour of the eccentric portion of said cam.

15. In a sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocating needle, Worlosustaining means, and means for producing between them relative lateral ]ogg1ng movements, of

a loop-taker adapted to perform its loopseizing movements in the direction. of said lateral jogging movements, a shaft ilpon whichsaid loop-taker is mounted, actuating means for said shaft from which said looptakerderives its loop-seizing movements, and means acting through said shaft and independently of its actuating means for imparting to the loop-taker an additional movement in loop-seizing direction.

vIn testihwnywherof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. ALBERT F. FIFIELD.

Witnesses-z I WILLIAM L. Benson, HENRY A. KoRNE mNN, Jr. 

